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Does IRCC work on weekends?

AbdelAllah

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Aug 24, 2013
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Hi,
I noticed many people here report they have received AOR or test invitations on weekends days.
Does IRCC work on weekends?

Thanks.
 

simpsol22

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Feb 11, 2015
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Pretty sure when they send out emails they go into a queue and sometimes will show up on a weekend as well, even though it was initiated during the week.
 
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dpenabill

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Apr 2, 2010
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The relevant question might be: will IRCC be working on a particular individual's application such and such days?

The answer to this one is EASY, and it is PROBABLY NOT.

Be that a Sunday or Wednesday. No, it is very, very likely NO ONE is working on your application that day. Hundred to one odds, at the very least.

That answer is easy because applications mostly sit in a queue with NO ONE actively working on them for the vast, vast, vast majority of the time. For routinely processed applications, it is not likely much if any more than a couple or few hours TOTAL (if that much) is spent actually working on the application during the entire process, including all the time spent working on it from its arrival at CPC-Sydney to when the individual raises his or her hand and takes the oath.

Applicants are, so to say, standing in a long, long line . . . initially with thousands of others in line in front of them. It takes CPC-Sydney months to just open the application package. Months to open it, but in terms of actual time spent working on it, little more than a part-of-an-hour to actually open it, do the completeness check including a GCMS screening, open a GCMS application file, scan the application including outside packaging, and make referrals to CSIS and the RCMP, make and send AOR notations, and then the application goes back into queue. Maybe that takes more than an hour, but if so not by much.

There appears to be some additional screening at CPC-Sydney before the application is "In Process," but that almost certainly involves less than an hour of total time working on the file, including the act of referring and sending it to a local office, which includes making and sending the "In Process" notation.

After "In Process," for applications in most local offices, the application continues to be in line with thousands in front of it. It will be several MONTHS more before anyone actively does anything on the application. For MONTHS it is not likely anyone even looks at it, at all, unless the applicant does something to trigger an inquiry, in which event the sum and substance of what is done is that someone opens and looks at the applicant's GCMS records, responds to the inquiry, done, application back into queue.

The idea that IRCC is "working on" or "processing" a particular application mostly means that the particular application has an active status and is PENDING the next step. NOT that anyone is actively doing anything.
 

terulinkarezinka

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Apr 13, 2015
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I have a friend working in one of the CIC offices and there was a point in time, where there was overtime offered to employees because of high volume of applications. That being said, it was 5 years ago, so not sure what is the situation right now.
 
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faty82

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Nov 22, 2020
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Um planning to send my documents on Dec. 16 (this will be 2 yrs and 1 month, just in case), do you think they might be off work for their Christmas holidays? Or how long in general they will be off their jobs? Do you think its a safe decision?
 

abrakadabra

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Oct 21, 2016
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Um planning to send my documents on Dec. 16 (this will be 2 yrs and 1 month, just in case), do you think they might be off work for their Christmas holidays? Or how long in general they will be off their jobs? Do you think its a safe decision?
100% off work during Christmas break. Normally companies offer a 2-week break, IRCC will do the same for sure
 

faty82

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Nov 22, 2020
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so do u think that is wise to send it anyways? they will check those in line from Dec first thing in Jan? Or again as usual they will forget older cases (like those sending in March) and start from the ones they just receive in Jan?
 

PMM

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Jun 30, 2005
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Hi

100% off work during Christmas break. Normally companies offer a 2-week break, IRCC will do the same for sure
1. Very few companies give a 2 week break at Christmas. CIC's employees get Dec 25, 26th as statutory holidays, as the 26th is Saturday, the Monday is the holiday. New Years day is also a stat holiday. Some employees may take the 4 days prior to the 25th as Annual leave. Otherwise employees will be at work.
 
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harirajmohan

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Um planning to send my documents on Dec. 16 (this will be 2 yrs and 1 month, just in case), do you think they might be off work for their Christmas holidays? Or how long in general they will be off their jobs? Do you think its a safe decision?
Yes having 1 month buffer is good enough. Send it after 16th, someone will be there to receive it for sure, even if others are out of of work as i mentioned below.
100% off work during Christmas break. Normally companies offer a 2-week break, IRCC will do the same for sure
1. Very few companies give a 2 week break at Christmas. CIC's employees get Dec 25, 26th as statutory holidays, as the 26th is Saturday, the Monday is the holiday. New Years day is also a stat holiday. Some employees may take the 4 days prior to the 25th as Annual leave. Otherwise employees will be at work.
We all are forgetting about the leave code 699 which is pandemic leave code (,year long code for 2020 and beyond).
My file went to inprocess and my wife's file is not yet which shows that they are off work again this winter. Seems holidays started from Nov itself. :rolleyes:
 

Copingwithlife

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Jul 29, 2018
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100% off work during Christmas break. Normally companies offer a 2-week break, IRCC will do the same for sure
Except it’s not a company, it’s the Government. They only get the same statutory days off as other workers do . But god forbid they take those off , people will get all upset . Can you imagine ? The headlines ?
“ IRCC workers taking Christmas/Boxing Day , off , individuals starting petition for IRCC employees to take no days off/vacation “
Or citizenship applicants demanding workers at IRCC work 16 hr days
 

abrakadabra

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Oct 21, 2016
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Except it’s not a company, it’s the Government. They only get the same statutory days off as other workers do . But god forbid they take those off , people will get all upset . Can you imagine ? The headlines ?
“ IRCC workers taking Christmas/Boxing Day , off , individuals starting petition for IRCC employees to take no days off/vacation “
Or citizenship applicants demanding workers at IRCC work 16 hr days
good lord, that will be a major thing! Even more if the headlines are "IRCC workers are paid double time to process immigration applications"